In a surprising turn of events, President Biden is exploring what's next, according to news reports. raise the price Americans are paying for electric cars made in China.
EVs, of course, are the type of cars the administration prefers us Americans to buy. The new policy includes shipments from Tesla's Shanghai factory and vehicles made at a Chinese-owned factory in Mexico.
Like it or not, China's EVs are an integral part of the green car market, but they are already subject to regulation. 25 percent customs duty. Now, the discussion has turned to additional border taxes, regardless of where such cars are produced or by which companies.
If the release of this information was a balloon to test the public's reaction, it should be shot down with a cry of hallelujah.
At a time when the Fed's preferred inflation measure is finally starting to take hold, why kick in the shins of American consumers who are willing to reduce their carbon emissions? Is this really a situation that requires a national nanny to prompt?
The idea and policy of dictating what Americans buy with their hard-earned cash is pushed forward What President Trump and his many tariffs (promising more of the same if he is re-elected) and then continued by the Biden team are counterproductive ideas that should be relegated to the dustbin of history.
Some may argue that curbing sales of electric vehicles, made in whole or in part in China, and moving related production to the United States would provide needed climate benefits. After all, China emits a lot of CO2. But the resulting pollution could likely be even worse in the United States. In line with 2022 data, the United States' per capita carbon emissions were 14.9 tons. A similar measurement for China was much lower at 8.0 tonnes.
If the Biden team wants to make EV production cleaner, why not give some leeway to reliable trading partners like Japan, which emits 8.6 tons of CO2 per capita, and South Korea, which emits 11.9 tons? Or, even better, Mexico, which has reached the lowest level of just 3.2 tons per person? This is a complex topic, but what we know about climate science does not seem to support the current Biden EV thinking.
No, searching for answers should take us somewhere else. Wondering why our leaders want to make readily available EVs more expensive to give domestic producers peace of mind, rather than strive to create EVs that more people will like? If you are thinking, Want to buyconsider the usual suspects, election season politics.
It's probably not just a coincidence that the conversation takes place in both situations. EV sales volume Approval ratings for traditional American automakers are declining, and approval ratings for the incumbent president are declining.
general motors teeth Abandon Remarkable initiatives for unmanned electric vehicles purchase Almost half of Buick dealers are rejecting electrification.Previously announced U.S. production Battery development has been postponed. Despite the large amount of tax money being spent on incentive Despite government support for electric vehicle purchases and related battery production, Biden's electric vehicle industry policy is not working.
None of this means we should doubt the integrity of White House officials. Good intentions don't always lead to good ideas. But the fact that domestic companies and employees in battleground states tend to win election seasons should never be treated as some kind of fluke.
Once again, the leaders of the United Auto Workers union and domestic automakers working on EV issues appear to be sitting in the political chair.
bruce yandle He is a Distinguished Adjunct Fellow at George Mason University's Mercatus Center and Dean Emeritus of Clemson University's College of Business and Behavioral Sciences.
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